We are now back in Stockholm after a whole year travelling through Europe, but we are not yet back in the houseboat. The tenants rent by the month, so we don't have access to the houseboat until 1 December. We have arrived a week early because we simply have a lot to do: water damage in the storage room, renewal of passports, winter storage of the motorhome ...
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ShareDestroyed clothes in the storeroom
When you live in a houseboat in Pampas Marina, you have access to a storage room, just like any other apartment. The only slight difference is that the storage units are actually located under water, but otherwise they look like normal apartment storage units. Water has now reached the floor of the storerooms and all those affected must empty their storerooms and move their belongings to a temporary location provided by the marina.
Since we are renting out our houseboat empty of personal items, we have had everything we own (except what is in the motorhome) in storage, mainly clothes and household items. All the cardboard boxes that have been on the floor were soaked and all my winter clothes (coats, sweaters, trousers, knitted dresses) were soaked, smelly and in some cases discoloured or mouldy...
Contacting the insurance company
We called our insurance company (If) in the morning and were very pleased with the response. Within two hours a man was on site to check the damage. We had to pack all the damaged clothes in black rubbish bags, which the insurance company then sent to the dry cleaners.
Anything that can be saved, I get back, and if something is destroyed, we discuss replacement then. So it feels very good, even if I'm short of winter clothes at the moment!
A nice end to the day
The whole day we stressed like crazy to unpack the storage room and drag boxes while talking to insurance companies and getting a new passport for me. In the evening we went home to Peter's eldest son Robin and his wife Alexandra who moved to a new apartment at Fridhemsplan in Stockholm while we were abroad.
Of course, it was incredibly fun to meet and we had so much to talk about! In addition, we were treated to a fantastic dinner with homemade asparagus soup for starters, beef fillet for the main course and raw food balls for dessert. Our contribution to the dinner was Amarone and Valpolicella wine from Viviani in Italy.
You might also like:
Being at home in the houseboat in Stockholm again
Living on the water in winter - a picture bomb
Life on a houseboat - a home report
Houseboat life in winter - how we live in wintertime
Lifting a houseboat - this is what happened when our houseboat was lifted
Inspecting and repainting a houseboat - here's how it went
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Camilla says:
It's crazy that you are already home! Thought you just left! It has been fantastic to follow your journey, you have offered countless beautiful pictures that you have had to dream away to, thank you! 🙂
Sorry about the water damage, hope most garments can be saved!
24 November 2015 - 9:36
Linnea says:
I hope If is aware of how many readers you have if they were to think of compensating you with some ridiculously small percentage of the value of what will be discarded 😉.
24 November 2015 - 9:43
Helga says:
Welcome home again! How annoying that there was water damage in your storage room but good that If helps. I have followed you both on instagram and on the blog.
24 November 2015 - 9:44
Catherine says:
Poor thing. So very slow. However, it will be fun to see you on Thursday, with or without winter clothes. 😉
24 November 2015 - 9:51
admin says:
Camilla, time goes sooo fast! 😉 Very happy that you followed our journey and glad to hear that you appreciated our pictures!
Linnea, haha, let's hope so! 😉
Helga, how nice that you have followed both here and on Instagram! Yes, so far it feels very good with the quick help we got from If!
Katarina, how fun that you also come on Thursday, it will be fun to see! 🙂 Fortunately, I bought a reasonably warm jacket in Croatia so it is probably the one that will save me now 😉
24 November 2015 - 9:56
Ama de casa says:
I'm glad that the water damage seems to be OK. I hope most things can be saved and that you still have something warm to wear in the meantime.
🙂
24 November 2015 - 10:19
Mr Steve says:
With the storage room located under the water surface, water damage does not sound too far away to me as a layman. Good that the insurance company is favourably disposed, so we can hope for a good solution even if you have to live with the inconvenience at the moment.
Well timed to enjoy a delicious meal with family members in the middle of the "misery".
24 November 2015 - 10:01
admin says:
Steve, I think the marina will fix the actual water damage as soon as the stores are emptied. The insurance company was quick and that's good.
Ama de casa, I don't have access to my warmest clothes, but luckily I bought a reasonably warm jacket in Croatia 🙂 .
24 November 2015 - 11:20
Role o Carina says:
Sorry about the water damage, but it's only material!
All the more fun to meet loved ones at home with a good dinner 🙂 .
Have a good time at home......:-)
24 November 2015 - 13:51
Lennart says:
No fun with water damage but as I said when the bikes were gone, it's material after all.
Health is more important!
24 November 2015 - 13:52
admin says:
Rolle and Carina, you are so right! It is only material and not a disaster. Very nice to see loved ones now! 🙂
Lennart, we can only agree! Health is the most important thing. The material is secondary.
24 November 2015 - 14:30
Ditte says:
It's good that the insurance company was accommodating because that makes things easier.
And nice to be invited to such good food! And how good with Amarone wine (drank it yesterday ...) and Valpolicella wine, but I have not bought my Amarone on the spot.
24 November 2015 - 21:23
BP says:
Put it this way - both the husband and I feel very sorry for you. Yes, not because you had a great dinner with Peter's son (you really deserved it after the day's exertions), but for coming back to such water damage.
Fantastic that If arrived within two hours. We also have If and we had the same "luck" when we were robbed in Benidorm last year. Finally an insurance company that delivers after all the money you have paid in over the years.
24 November 2015 - 21:28
admin says:
Ditte, it was really nice that the insurance company came right away! And I'm sure that Amarone wine tastes good even if it's not bought on the spot 😉.
BP, great to hear that you also had a good experience with If! We hope we will continue to have that experience!
25 November 2015 - 0:13
Marina says:
Sad start to the homecoming, but most things can always be worse, it depends on what you compare with... Hope everything works out for the best and that you manage to fix everything you need without any problems.
25 November 2015 - 5:04
admin says:
Marina, it could be worse! After all, it's only material and we seem to be getting help from the insurance company.
25 November 2015 - 8:12
solan says:
It is important to have a good insurance company, but you have no idea until something happens. You seem to have a good one. Now there are not many days left, soon you can go on board and settle in properly in the boat. Don't forget the Christmas dip from the bridge 😉.
25 November 2015 - 10:44
Deciree says:
But so good that it went well with the insurance company and that they help you. Coming home from the heat and not having any winter clothes ... it was not good. I really hope everything works out for you. It was probably fun for you to come home again too. It's usually like that. Time goes fast when you have fun:) And you have had that:))) Hugs and welcome home again.
25 November 2015 - 20:03
admin says:
Solan, so far it feels like an excellent response from If. However, the choice of insurance company was quite easy for us because most insurance companies said no to home insurance for a houseboat... (The boat itself is insured with another company, however).
Deciree, thank you! Yes, it's actually a bit fun to come home too! Many to meet and we have a lot planned!
26 November 2015 - 8:44
Inga M says:
So you are back home again! What an adventure this year has been and many of us have been able to follow your journey. We read about the final ordeal with the snowstorm in southern Sweden and the sad water damage when you came home. Fortunately, the insurance company is doing a good job. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. I may have read the blog carelessly, but where do you live now? If the motorhome is left for winter storage and your tenants are using the boat for the rest of the month?
01 December 2015 - 10:29
admin says:
Inga M, yes, we have come home from our trip around Europe (although we happen to be in Riga at the moment). We have stayed here and there - with friends and with Peter's son. Quite messy actually, but full of moving boxes everywhere... Right now we are staying in a hotel in Riga 😉.
01 December 2015 - 11:29